Heirlooms or Rat's Nests?

As I continue to do “restyle and design shows” I have come to realize that there are clear differences in what people bring-in.  Some bring-in heirlooms and others bring-in a rat’s nest of assorted jewellery time has quickly rendered unusable.  When a customer comes into your store, they are often happy to find jewellery that costs less than they expected to pay.  If you could show them a snapshot of themselves in the future visiting a restyle show with either a bag of cheaper jewellery which was repaired a few times and then abandoned; with a zillion tiny diamonds that will never create a beautiful new design, maybe they would think twice about their choices. 

You could also paint a picture of a future where they have acquired some classic pieces in a long-term jewellery wardrobe.  Maybe a few of the more trendy pieces that gave them great joy might need restyling; but because they featured better quality gemstones, they’re easily reusable in new designs.

Hey, I get it.  I’ve been on the sales floor.  I know what it’s like to want to sell them something.  If clients consider you a “trusted advisor,” then you’ve got to consider their future-good.  Consider whether you should encourage a client to purchase fewer better quality pieces of jewellery.  Can you successfully sell a better more durable piece on a layaway, as opposed to instant gratification? 

Is your store better-off 5 years from now if clients are conditioned to look for quality?  If you sell better jewellery than department stores and chain stores, I sure hope so.